The New York Red Bulls defender and New Jersey native will be competing in the Olympics.
John Tolkin was named to the U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team during an announcement on NBC's “Today” Monday morning, marking the first time the team has sent players to the Summer Olympics since its founding as the Red Bulls.
The 21-year-old defenseman has played in seven games for the U.S. team as it prepares for the Summer Olympics in Paris later this month. Additionally, Tolkin has played one game for the U.S. Senior National Team this year.
The Olympic team is made up of U23 members, with three exceptions.
“Personally, it's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. It's a great honor to wear the USA uniform, whether it's for the Olympics or a friendly,” Tolkin, a Chatham, New Jersey native, said during an appearance on CBS Sports Golazo in April.
“I come from a small town in Jersey and I think that we from Jersey are a bit nasty and we love where we come from and we take a lot of pride in it, so when you put the crest on it's an incredible feeling – it's what all the players play for.”
Tolkin not only has a shot at competing in this year's Olympics, but he also has a good chance of being part of the U.S. team that will compete in the 2026 World Cup.
He made four appearances for the national team last year, including two in the Gold Cup.
Tolkin's selection to the Olympic team makes him just the sixth player in the history of the team, known as the MetroStars from 1996-2006 before being renamed the Red Bulls, to make the Olympic team and the first since Tim Howard and Ramiro Corrales represented the United States in 2000.
This will be Tolkin's fifth season with the Red Bulls, having played 105 MLS games for the club.
He was selected to the MLS All-Star team for the first time last season and holds the club record for most assists by a defender in a single season across all competitions with 10.
Tolkin is also tied for second all-time assists among defensemen in all competitions with 15.
The U.S. will play a friendly against Spain on July 18 before opening its Olympic group stage match against host nation France on July 24.
The U.S. will also face New Zealand and Guinea in the group stage.
